The present invention relates to a storage device for spectacles, in particular for installation in motor vehicles.
The use of spectacles and sunglasses in motor vehicles is widespread. Should the light suddenly become blinding, or should it become dark, for example when driving through a tunnel, for the driver in particular a pair of spectacles must be to hand, often instantly, during travel, so that only one hand is needed for them. It is therefore necessary for the spectacles to be stored in the vehicle in such a way that the driver can insert them in the storage device or remove them from it with one hand.
It must also be possible for the side-pieces of the spectacles to be opened out and folded up with one hand without the driver's attention requiring to be diverted from his driving.
On the one hand the spectacles should be capable of being easily and smoothly inserted in and removed from the storage device, and on the other hand the spectacles must be placed and securely held in the storage device well enough so that even stiff side-pieces can be opened out and folded up, without the spectacles being torn out of the storage device or twisted as this action is being performed.
In the stored state, the spectacles should be protected against dust, dirt and scratching. Screening against the sun's rays is also desirable. So that operation by the driver is possible during travel, the device must, on the one hand, be arranged to be mounted in the vehicle and to be operated in such a manner that the driver does not need to avert his gaze from the road. On the other hand, the device must not obstruct the driver's view. The use of the device in countless different vehicle models further requires it to be of a type suitable for installation in as wide a variety of vehicles as possible, requiring only minimal and inexpensive adaptations to the individual vehicle models.
There are many forms of spectacles available commercially. Shape, depth, width and thickness and also the nose space and the arrangement of the side-pieces vary within a wide range. There are also innumerable styles of spectacles of very delicate construction which are easily deformable when pressure is applied.
Spectacle holders for retrospective mounting in vehicles are commercially available. These are generally adhesively secured to the dashboard covering and the spectacles are placed in the pocket-type holder. The spectacles are then not only exposed to dirt, dust and the effects of the sun's rays, they also, depending on their positioning, partially obstruct the driver's view. In addition, such stuck-on holders pose a significant risk of injury in the event of road accidents. These spectacle holders are designed for a specific category of spectacle sizes and shapes, so that spectacles of relatively large format cannot be stored in those holders at all, whilst spectacles of smaller dimensions are not securely held and are thus easily able to fall out of the holder or be torn out of the holder when opening and closing the spectacle side-pieces.